Context is key, so that only means base in that case means serious Luffy and Zoro
They don't need those forms if not required they'd go all out in base before going gear 5.
For Luffy he literally states that overkills in gear 5..what he does in that form is bare minimum of what he can do...its not close to base as you think it is just because he goofs around one shotting and 2 shotting folks and runs out of gas.